The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-06-09

why. what upon but iit OF cough
log stopped the words. and left Lofty
chest so sore she did not fuish her ques
tloD.
She was so III that night = doctor was
sent fora young man around the corner,
just baginning practice, therefore cheaper
than q man cf experience He st once
proceeded TO blister his pstien, and give
1 her sntimouy. Low deIirium sci 10, and
for six weeks Lofty was unable 10 leave
her bed. aud for month more she could
no, 20 TO work. Hills came ia to twics
the amount Of the blue dress price, and
could not be paid.
'ob. what hole in the bagl" sighed
Aunt Pratt
When Lofty was little better. her
father came in one noon with = hsndbili
given to him in the streets flaming sd
vertisement Of the Black Crook perform :
ance.
Say, Lou, don't you want to go TO this
tonight? lisa month OF Sundays since
we've bad a lark let's go. . be said tossing
the bill into his wife's lap,
"0h pa, screamed Ida. stake me; oh.
do; now won't you?"
Me too. sqneaked Davy who had
hoarse cold
"Ot, shut upv' snapped Potter. II
don't want two babies tagging at my heels.
Somebody's got to stay with Lott"
"Wby, there's Aunt Pratt" said Ida.
maybe she'd like to go; would you.
aunt9" asked Potter, blandly. He had
mind to keep the right side Of woman
with means.
"Me?" said The old lady, with stern
reproof in her voice aud face "Me go to
such place? No. iudeedl"
"Well, WE'LL everybody to their mind.
| like bit Of fun first rate, now and then
We go considerable, first and last; body
must be amused"
'Oh, father?' put in Mrs. Potter. urged
by the whispered teasing and cross faces
Of Ida and Davy, "do take these children
alongl Ida hasn't been nowhere since
Lott was too sick; and Davy's only boy.
Let him have a good time while he can;
bis troubles will come fast enough before
long. Now, do let 'em gol''
well, | guess they can; Lott won't care
il Aunt Pratt's here"
So at night he came home with four
tickets to the performance. bag OF pea.
nuts and paper OF candy, and they set
out to enjoy themselves. Tom had an
nounced at noon that he was going TO
take his girl
Aunt Pratt groaned in spirit. "Another
hole in the bag. and big onev' she said
to herself
When would the doctors bill. and the
debts at the drug store and the grocer's
be paid2
Aunt Pratt had always lived in the
country and been honest. She had no
experience Of the class who crowd our
theatres minstrel shows aud circuses, who
buy cheap fnery and expensive, poor
beer and bad butter, but never pay their
rent or lay up penny for rainy day.
AS spring came on Aunt Pratt noticed |
that Potter looked greatly disgusted with
his dinner and Lofty left hers untasted.
No wonder Aunt Pratt could not eat it
herself. The potatoes were poor and
boiled to watery. insipid mass; the meat
fried to black, leathery substance, the
bread old and dry, and the turnips rank
and unsavory.
81 say, pa" exclaimed Tom, "we're all
getting spring poor. don't care hang
tor my yittles. Lets have dozen OF la
ger; that'll set us all up"
So the lager came, was used up, another
dozen ordered, and then another; but the
appetites did not improve nor the cook
ing At last the beerseller refused to
fetch more, unless what he had brought
was paid for.
Oh, dearl oh. dear!'' sighed Aunt Pratt
whist a bole in the bag"
Next day she said to her niece, "Lowisy
will you let me buy and cook the dinner
to.morrow9 III make you present Of all
the yittles get, il you will
Louisa consented, much sstonished, and
Aunt Pratt came back from market with
two pounds Of solid beef-a coarse piece,
lis true, but cheap and fresh. She bought
a few onions, carrot. aud one small stalk
Of celery the whole costing thirty six
cents, Then she prepared a stew. and.
pairing the potatoes, put them in cold
water till it was time to add them; the
celery, two onions, half q carrot sliced
thin, we're put in with the beef, which she
had cut into pieces Of perhaps two inches
square. Salt and pepper we're sprinked
in lberally, and as she put her stew on
before breakfast and let it simmer all the
adding the sliced potato at eleven
o'clock, il was well done by noon.
''Georgel how good the dinner smellsl"
"Got roast turkey, Lou?' inquired Pot.
lee, smiling and smelling.
Even listless Lou wanted some dinner
that day the rest recovered their sppe-
iites- without any more lagerl
II wish to land Lou, you'd learn cook
10 OF Aunt Pratt" said Potter
II wonder il I've sewed up that hole, "
thought Aunt Pratt.
But she bad not. Louisa was too old
10 learn new tricks, as We say about dogs;
she continued 10 buy the best meat and
,ook it the worst way, and still the money
eaked out the hole 10 the Tag. IA
"Hulio, Tom. said Potter. one Sunday
morning, as Tom saunterei iuto the room
.s... -. .~.sl 4